Lord Uglor Does Gryphonicus

[Fajita Fan]

I could try modeling something in TinkerCAD, someone designed beetleback armor for an imperial knight which might be a basis to work from.

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2530701

 

Speaking of beetles something I was working on was a beetleback carapace for a scarab Defiler conversion for Thousand Sons (I have a LOT of armies). Setting up curving armor might let me kill two birds with one stone (on work time no less). Let me know what dimensions you’re thinking.

[Fajita Fan]

I isolated the armor panel from that design above and got rid of the weapons, the next part is measuring it down to Warlord scale and figuring out how to chop it up for printing on an extrusion printer like the ones I have access to.  Do you have your own printer at home or access to one like I do? What's your resolution?

 

 

I actually really like the look and I'd like to try this for a Chaos Warlord. I want to say it would be good to keep the skeleton frame the AT Warlord armor panels attach to and put this over the top of them, it will look too naked underneath without them.  It'd be really nice to have one of these models in hand to work from.

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Fajita Fan

[Parweke]

didnt remember how hideous those models were, maybe back then they looked cool but not anymore :)

[Mendi Warrior]

The monopose is the one thing I really don't like on these venerable ancestors. But the beetleback is still cool.

[Lord Uglor]

@ Parweke-  Yes, the nostalgia of the past weighs heavily with the BeetleBack.  I think though that there is a middle ground attainable by using the current model as a frame to work upon, and hitting more of the older notes.  The current model brings too much of the Lucius pattern into it for my liking.  Story wise, I always viewed the Lucius as the inferior version, bigger, bulkier, but the internal systems were nowhere near as efficient or compact as the Mars.  It may take me a while to get there, but I want to build an idealized Mars pattern.

 

@ Fajita Fan-  I have seen the file you showed, and considered it a starting point.  My ability with Tinkercad is low currently, but growing.  I'm working on my second version of the foot currently, the first done solely with measurements taken from the new foot.  It was abysmal once printed out.  I'm trying to find one of the old bases with the molded feet around the house, but there's so many places to look.  Onward and upward!

 

As far as my printer, I have an Ultimaker 2.  It is supposed to have a 20 micron resolution.  There is an upgrade available, which replaces the feed system and print head.  I'm looking to get that, but its $400, and its coming up to Christmas.

[Fajita Fan]

Two things I've learned when dealing with TinkerCAD: the workplane tool and exporting/reimporting the file every few iterations.  The workplane tool is really useful for making sure you've lined up holes or other objects to keep things flush.  Also the more groupings you have (holes or additional shapes) the slower TinkerCAD runs.  Once I'm reasonably happy with how something is looking I export it as an .stl and then reimport it so the software cuts apart all the hidden the stuff and you're just left with the outline to continue working.  

 

Using full Warlord torso model I found and scaled to 23.8% I started trying to lay the carapace on top to mess with the scale.  My first print will be 87mm wide by 86mm deep, that's in the lower left hand corner with two more carapaces each 2mm bigger and 2mm smaller as a fudge factor.  

 

 

I also turned the shell over and took a chunk out of the bottom so it follows the curve of the Warlord torso. I don't think we'd be able to include the structures on top that have the shield generators or the frame that holds the existing shoulder armor.  Dunno when I can get this printed given the queue of other stuff I'm trying to get done (including a Genestealer cult limo!!) so do you want me to send you the file?  This is an .stl based on an OOP piece adapted for an Imperial Knight that I'm adapting for an AT model which doesn't exist so it won't violate any of the rules as I understand it.  This is a cosmetic conversion piece that GW doesn't make. 

 

[Fajita Fan]

I just realized this means I'm buying another Warlord kit at some point...

 

Oh well if I do a Chaos Warlord this gives me an opportunity to use this piece from the 40k crane terrain piece as a head.

[Lord Uglor]

@ Fajita Fan-  That's looking good.  One thing I think should be changed on that carapace is the part over the head.  That should be squared off, in my opinion, and perhaps a little longer.  If you want to send it to me, I'll give it a try.  I'll PM you.  As far as the existing top, the vents/void shield housing, it was always my plan to remove that structure, the clearest call back to the Lucius.

 

That crane piece looks great for a chaos titan, too.

[Fajita Fan]

I didn’t notice the squared off part, I’ll fix that. I really wish I had one in person but people are selling them for $40 a piece. Why is the resale market for old AT stuff so high now? Edited November 15, 2018 by Fajita Fan

[Fajita Fan]

You know what? I'm looking at this again and I think the shell needs to be even bigger, like 95mm or more wide.

[Lord Uglor]

@ Fajita Fan- I received the file, thank you very much, but I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.  I'll keep you posted on how I make out with it.

[Lord Uglor]

Okay, so, I've done a thing.  I had started playing with Tinkercad, not happy with my inability to make models of my own for my 3D printer.  I tried my hand at what I thought would be a nice easy thing to model, the old style Apocalypse Missile Launcher.  I always loved the old style cannister launchers, and this will be needed for my eventual Beetle Back project.  Here are some pics of what I have gotten done.

 

 

The can on the right is my first version.  It had some issues with the missiles and the base for mounting the magnets. It is just pressure fit at the moment.  The left is my refined version.  The magnet cup in the base works with a 5mmx1mm disc magnet.

 

 

Here you can see some of the side detail.  I have modeled mounting points for pistons, which I will make out of styrene.  I figured they'd be to fiddly to 3D print.  Aside from some very minor tweeking, I'd say it is done.

 

With my newfound confidence, I'm working on slicing a Beetle Back carapace provided to me by Fajita Fan (Thank you very much for that, mate!) a foot replacement, and a power fist.  Everything is proceeding according to plan!

 

As usual, please leave comments!

[Fajita Fan]

Those look great, I like the very classic style.  I got some pictures of the old weapons I might start modelling those too, I have a couple of TinkerCAD tutorials planned for work so I'll use them as examples.

[Lord Uglor]

Thanks, Fajita Fan!  I think I have copies of all the original weapons if you need any measurements or clearer pics.  With these weapons, I found that doubling the size is a pretty good starting point to tweak the scaling.  The weapons were proportionally larger than the new ones.  My mind is a flurry of activity considering what to make next.

[Fajita Fan]

I want to make the grappling claw, I'm now sold on making a third Legio that's fallen to Khorne with a bunch of close combat weapons and a few Kaban machine style robots as Warhounds.  

 

I still haven't gotten back the Warlord carapace weapon mounts I sent to the printer to see how they came out, I might end up redoing my megabolters slightly smaller if the scale is wrong.  Also a defense laser that counts as a volcano cannon might look cool. 

[Captain Semper]

They definitely look retro, so good stuff there. Even so they kind of look on the large side to me...

 

I’m eager to see that power fist! :lol:

[Lord Uglor]

Alrighty.  I've been working hard on stuff, perhaps too hard, I have finished a bunch of weapons all based on the old AT88 designs, with the thought that they'd be used on my 'much older' Warlord Beetle Back conversion.  I'd use the Macro Cannon as Quake Cannon, defense laser as Volcano cannon and so forth.  Finished designs so far are the Macro/Quake, Missile/Apoc Launcher, plasma gun/Carapace plasma (if they gat around to it, for Reaver or Warlord). I still have to print out copies of some of these. 

 

Still in progress weapons are the Fist (printed one off, looked terrible, this one will take a long time to refine), Defense laser/Volcano cannon.  I really want to do the Plasma Cannon, but I'm having a real issue finding one in my boxes in storage.  The Plasma Cannon would be carapace mounted only, but I'd still only give it the same firing arc.  All these are for friendly games, so no worries about rules lawyering.

 

@ Fajita Fan - I have printed one of the carapaces you sent to me, the 89mm one.  First impressions:  the carapace walls are too thin, I snapped off two of the 'tabs' on the front of the carapace just getting it off the build plate.  The weapon mounts are too big (should be 8.9mm) and the sides should not be sloped.  The 'hood' needs to extend out twice as far, and be 50% wider.  And yes, it needs to be bigger, I'd say in the neighbourhood of 110mm or so.  You said you wanted a carapace to work from, I'm pretty sure that I have an extra one laying about, and it won't cost you anything.  Let me know.

 

As far as pics, I'm getting on the computer while my wife is still asleep, and once she wakes, I'll be losing it to her while she plays Fallout 76.  The pics may come today, but more likely tomorrow.

[Fajita Fan]

I haven't printed mine yet, if the walls are too thin then that's probably beyond my TinkerCAD skills, the only thing I can think of would be making a few successively smaller copies and layering them inside one another to build up the shell.  I also want to get building the psi titan gun and playtest Noigrim's rules a bit. 

 

I'll have a printer in my building in January so there's going to be a lot "testing the new printer" going on!  

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your painting skills are admirable and enviable. I love the mottled gray camouflage pattern.

[Lord Uglor]

Small update.  I was playing around with Tinkercad while looking at some of my AT88 weapons and realized that there is currently no support missile for the reaver...so I made one.

 

 

 

For the life of me, I can't figure out why they are rotated 90 degrees, but you'll get the idea.  The missile fits into the sled, and is removable once fired.  This Tinkercad has become a bit of an addiction.  It is a pretty good program, but there's a lot that it can't do, so I've started playing with Fusion 360.  Let me know what you think.

 

@ Bjorn Firewalker- I would never consider myself anything more than a passable painter, but I thank you for the kind words.

[Fajita Fan]

I...did not magnetize my missile to the rail...my missile is glued to the rail so the whole thing has to come off as one piece...

 

*grabs knife*

[Mendi Warrior]

Looks sweet, one day I'll have to jump into 3D printing as well, endless possibilities.

[Lord Uglor]

@ Fajita Fan -  That's too bad.  I didn't magnetize mine to the rail either.  The only magnet is the one holding the rail to the carapace mount.  I used a copy of the missile to make a hole in the sled assembly, so it's just pressure fit in there.  If you want a copy of the stl, let me know.

 

@ Mendi Warrior - It is a dangerous rabbit hole to descend into, but so very worth it from a modelling stand point.  Always something to fix or adjust.  The biggest pain is waiting for your prototype to finish printing so you can check its scaling and proportions, but that just affords you time to work on more stuff....

[Fajita Fan]

Oh I thought your missile detached from the rail which made me feel very bad about my conversion. I’ve got a pair of IG hunter killer missiles as my warp missiles so I’m good but I’m really looking at your cylindrical Apoc missile launchers with interest.

[Lord Uglor]

@ Fajita Fan - I’m more than happy to send you the file if you wish it. The only thing is you’ll have to make pistons for it yourself. I used 1/32 wire inside a 3/32 styrene rod for mine. Easier to make something that small and round than print it.